Our last respect to Margaret

Gepubliceerd op 4 juli 2018 15:20

Margaret has been in Amecet and went back to her home in February 2018. She didn't had an easy start in life, her mother died at her birth. That was the reason why she came to Amecet. In February, her father took her back home in Serere to care for her. She was doing good. On Friday (June 29th) Simon got a phonecall that Margaret was sick and she was admitted in the hospital in Serere. He followed it up and heard that she was referred to Soroti Hospital. The father came on Saturday to Amecet for some help, to buy medicines for Margaret, who suffering from a pneumonia. On Monday morning at 7.45 am, the father came to Amecet, he told us that Margaret had died that morning. The staff asked him what was now going on and found out that the doctor had said to the father to take everything out the hospital, so he did. He had taken the body of his daughter, put it in a basin and in a sack and walked to Amecet. He had left the basin (with the body) outside the gate, not knowing if we would allow him to bring in a dead body. The staff took immediately the body into our medical room. Cared for it and washed her and lay her out on a bed. With dignity and respect, Margaret was laid down in peace.

The father was sitting on our veranda, he was upset and crying. We served him tea and bread and he calmed down a bit. Simon went to get a small coffin and later Margaret was laid in the coffin and Simon brought the father and the coffin to their village in Serere, where she was to be buried, next to her mother.

Why do I write this story?? Maybe, because I am also upset how things went yesterday morning, how a mourning father is treated in the hospital and how the system works, that there is no respect for the death or for the mourning parent. This is how things go here and I am sad about it.....